


That Fiancee, At School

by eecmidford



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-07-18 20:44:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 7,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7330042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eecmidford/pseuds/eecmidford
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a Kuroshitsuji Modern AU, a mysterious crime occurs at Weston College that threatens Ciel's relationship with Lizzy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Pink daisy earrings, check. Adorable new hairbows, check. Heart necklace (a gift from Ciel), check. Lizzy Midford slung her pink backpack over her shoulder, took out her iPhone and snapped a mirror selfie. It was September the first--orientation day for first-year students at Weston College. Ciel would be attending school there as well, and Lizzy hoped to Heaven that the two of them would share at least a few classes.

"Liz! We've got to go!" Edward was calling her.  
"Coming, Eddie!" She bounded down the wide mahogany staircase to the foyer of their mansion, where her older brother was waiting, arms crossed, wearing a scowl in addition to his school uniform.

"Family loyalty won't stop me from giving you a detention on your first day, little snail," he told her sternly. "Dad's been in the car, honking the horn at you for ten minutes. Let's GO."

"Morning to you too, big bro!" Lizzy responded cheerfully, standing on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. The two started out to the car. "And you can't threaten me with detention. I may be a first-year, but I know that prefects can only issue detentions to students from their own House."

"Oh, well," Edward smiled. "It was worth a shot."

There were four Houses at Weston, into which students were sorted based on their interests and abilities. Edward was in the Green House, where the academy's most superb athletes resided. The Midfords had expected their daughter to be placed in the same house, for her prodigious skill in fencing had earned her worldwide renown. Consequently, it had been quite the surprise when Lizzy's acceptance letter arrived, declaring her a member of the Blue House. "You must have SLAYED the entrance exam," Edward had said, and Lizzy had laughed at the unintentional sword pun.

A loud buz came from the phone in Lizzy's hand and she smiled, knowing it was a text from her fiance. "On your way? I'll be waiting in the House common room. Drive safely, dear XXO," read Ciel's message. Lizzy's heart beat faster as she read and reread his words. The slightest, most indirect contact with Ciel Phantomhive never failed to make her giddy, as though he were an unrequited crush instead of her longtime best friend, betrothed to her since early childhood. She worried about him constantly, as he was still grieving from the loss of his parents.

"I will. Can't wait to see you, love!" She tapped in reply, adding a kissing-face emoji at the end of the message.

There was a mystery novel in her backpack, but Lizzy knew there was no point in trying to read. She couldn't stop thinking about her Ciel. Pulling out her brand-new planner, she opened to the first page and caressed the flowered paper with a pink pen tip as the sleek black family car pulled into the school's main parking lot.

"This Year's Goals:  
1\. Make him happy."


	2. Chapter 2

"Ciel?" Lizzy poked her head through the enormous doors of the Blue House common room. There was her beloved fiance, sitting up straight as a rod at a desk in the corner, reading. He raised his head at the sound of his name.

Lizzy's face lit up. "CIEL!" She raced across the room and flung herself into his arms. It was likely he could feel her heart beating through her blazer, but she didn't mind. Nothing could lessen the joyous feeling of seeing him after an entire month apart.

The room had a high ceiling and was covered in bookcases from the hardwood floor to the wide skylights and glittering chandelier. Ciel and Lizzy rested on a sofa in front of the fireplace, her head in his lap. The rest of the first-year students were in the dorms upstairs, settling in under the supervision of the male and female prefects.

When they were younger, the two used to spend their time together playing house or tag or board games, watching cartoons and baking and cracking silly jokes. Now, a grief-stricken and traumatized Ciel was never up to these kind of light-hearted activities. Besides, as a twelve-year-old Earl, he was constantly trying to be more adultlike. But Lizzy was patient and loyal, sending sweet text and Snapchat messages to cheer him up, and visiting the Phantomhive manor whenever she could. She was determined to be the ideal strong, steady wife who could protect both her husband and the family name.

For now, all she could ever desire or need was in this moment--solitude with her Ciel, one of his hands clasped in hers while the other ran back and forth through her buoyant curls.

She was just drifting off into a blissful sleep when the door burst open, causing Ciel to start. Lizzy's heart sank. So much for cuddling...

"Hiya!" a freckled, bespectacled boy about Ciel's size greeted them. "My name's Lionel MacMillan! Great to meet you both. You're first-years too, right?"

"Ciel Phantomhive," Ciel introduced himself, and Lionel shook his hand a little too enthusiastically.

"Lizzy Midford." Lizzy held out her hand and received the same exuberant treatment.

"Have you checked into your rooms yet?" MacMillan asked. "I just got my assignment and room key. I'm in 203. You?"

Ciel rummaged in his pocket and pulled out his key. "203," it read.

"You too?" MacMillan's round, childish face lit up. "That's so lucky! We get to be roommates, how cool is that? Come on, let's go get our stuff and unpack!" Deaf to Ciel's protestations, Lionel clamped a hand around his elbow and began to drag him roughly up the stairs, keeping a constant chatter as they went.

No doubt Ciel was less than pleased with the room assignments, but Lizzy was glad he had a roommate as cheerful and friendly as MacMillan. In fact, the freckled boy seemed to resemble Lizzy a lot in personality. Perhaps his presence could help her reach her goal of making Ciel happy.


	3. Chapter 3

Lizzy's roommate was nearly finished unpacking by the time Lizzy swiped her key to enter. She was a petite brunette with an adorable heart-shaped face, organizing piles of lingerie on top of a soft pink bedspread.

"Hi!" the girl smiled. "My name's Victoria. You must be my roommate!"

Lizzy smiled back. "Yup! I'm Lizzy. I love your wall decorations, they're simply adorable!"

Victoria's side of the room was decorated with fabric butterflies and flowers, framed prints of Impressionistic paintings, and a full length mirror. Lizzy was always impressed by people with sophisticated taste.

While the two girls worked to fix up their new living space, they talked about their lives and interests, getting to know each other. They had a lot in common--a love of fashion, TV comedies, mystery novels and music. They were both athletes as well--Victoria was an accomplished swimmer.

By the time they started the walk to the main building for the first class meeting, Lizzy felt as though she'd known her roommate forever.

However, the same couldn't be said for Ciel and MacMillan. Lizzy waved to them as they emerged through the crowd of students. "Over here!" she called.

Ciel collapsed into the seat next to his fiancee. He rubbed a hand on her back in greeting, and leaned over to talk quietly into her ear.

"MacMillan's giving me gray hairs," he whispered. "He hasn't stopped talking for a single second since we got here."

Lizzy giggled and ran a hand through Ciel's hair. "Nope! Still all blue."

"Shh!" MacMillan hushed her loudly. "There's a guy at the microphone. I think he's going to start the meeting!"

The black-clad man on the staged tapped the mic, and the auditorium fell silent before Lizzy had had ample time to consider the irony of the chatty MacMillan telling her to be quiet.

"Greetings, students." The man was strikingly pale, and had raven-black hair that fell lazily around his crimson eyes. His outfit was strangely archaic--a long black robe and cross necklace, and glasses hanging around his slender neck on a beaded chain. He looked strangely familiar...

"Hey, Ciel?" Lizzy patted his hand to get his attention. "Is that...wait, no way!" She shook her head and laughed a little at the sheer wackiness of the idea. "He looks just like Seb-"

"Shh!" Ciel hushed her quickly, his face beet read. "Come on, I'll explain outside." Grabbing her hand, he led her hurriedly into the lobby.

"Ciel, what the...?" Lizzy exclaimed. "You're not telling me that's actually your butler?"

"Yes. Sebastian is our bloody class manager. Students don't usually bring their butlers to boarding school, so he had to find a more believable reason to be here."

"Wait...what?" Her heart starting to sink, Lizzy feared the answer to her next question. "So...you're here on a case?"

Ciel sighed, sinking into an armchair. Lizzy took a seat opposite him.

"Her Majesty contacted me in June," he said. "She received an anonymous tipoff that there was to be-and I quote-a 'magnificent disaster' at Weston during this school year. Whoever sent the message was somehow able to get it past all royal Internet security and directly into the Queen's personal inbox."

Lizzy twirled a lock of her hair nervously. "So you and Sebastian came here undercover to find the criminals involved, and stop them before it's too late?"

Ciel nodded. Lizzy's heart dropped. "But you'll be safe, won't you?" Her voice shook.

"I don't know, Elizabeth."

~~~

Lizzy lay in the dark, wide awake at 1:57 a.m., her head reeling.

This was to be the year she would finally be able to spend time with her fiance every single day. It was supposed to have been a peaceful year, without Ciel constantly going away on life-threatening missions as Her Majesty's Watchdog, leaving Lizzy wandering each day if she was to be a widow at age thirteen.

With this dangerous case at hand, it seemed it would be harder than ever to make Ciel happy.


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, Liz. Time to put on your brave face," she tried to motivate herself as she splashed water on her face the next morning. It was the first day of classes at Weston.

Pigtails fastened, mascara and lip gloss applied, it was time for Lizzy to practice what she called her "smiling drills." This was a trick she'd been taught by her beloved Aunt Red the first time Ciel had gone away on an assignment for the Queen.

"Just close your eyes, and concentrate on how sad you feel," Madam Red had told her. "Then take all that sadness, turn it into happiness, and shower that happiness over everyone around you."

"Like fairy dust?" asked a tearful Lizzy.

"Exactly like fairy dust," replied her aunt. "Only better, because you can do it with just one smile."

Lizzy looked into the reflection of her bright green eyes, took a deep breath, and grinned. Her face fell immediately. That kind of smile would most definitely not work. 

She closed her eyes, breathed deeply and tried again. A little brighter, but still not cute enough to sprinkle imaginary happiness dust over Ciel.

Just as she was about to give it a third try, the door behind her creaked open and Victoria stuck her head in.

"Morning, Lizzy! Mind if I come in? I just need to put on my makeup."

"Oh, of course!" Lizzy beckoned to the sink next to her. 

Victoria emptied a flowered toiletry purse filled with cosmetics. She quickly rubbed lotion over her olive skin before unscrewing a small bottle and spreading glittering mascara over her long eyelashes.

"Oh my gosh!" Lizzy gasped. "That mascara is just the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

"Thanks! Wanna try it?" Victoria held out the bottle, offering it to Lizzy. "Unless you're weird about sharing makeup, you know."

"Not at all!" Lizzy eagerly took it. "You're sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not! We're friends, aren't we?"

Lizzy's face exploded into a smile, and without even looking in the mirror she knew that smile was just perfect for the sprinkling of magical happiness.

~~~

"CIEL!" In one monstrous bound, Lizzy was in her fiance's arms, leaving a cloud of dust behind her as everyone around them dropped awkward sweat baubles.

"Ciel, we have ALL our A day classes together, isn't that just the greatest?" she exclaimed after holding their two schedules next to each other. 

An embarrassed Ciel squeezed Lizzy's hand to try and calm her down. "First period we have French class in the Charlemagne building. We'd better g-"

"OI! Ciel! Lizzy! Over here!" The two turned to see a familiar boyish face framed by purple hair. Prince Soma waved to them as he rushed to the corner where they were standing.

"SOMA!" Lizzy squealed, overjoyed to see her friend. The Indian Prince lifted her into the air and spun her around.

"As soon as I heard Lizzy's voice, I know ol' Phantomhive would be here too!" He held up a fist, and Ciel grudgingly bumped it.

"Nice badge, Your Highness!" Lizzy said, referring to the bright red prefect's badge on Soma's chest.

"Yup! I'm a Red House prefect now!" Soma announced proudly, hands on his hips. "That means I can tell you little kids what to do. And right now, I'm telling you to get to class!"


	5. Chapter 5

Lizzy and Ciel slid into their seats just as the late bell rang. The desks in the Charlemagne building were made of dark wood, and the chairs were cushioned. Seated next to a large window that overlooked the campus, Lizzy felt as though she were in a classy private office rather than a classroom.

"Um...move your books, please. This is my seat," said a bossy voice. Lizzy looked up. The voice belonged to a tall, busty redhead with piercing blue eyes framed by winged eyeliner.

"Oh...uh, yeah. Of course!" Lizzy hastily pulled her pile of books to her side of the table. For some reason, this girl was making her feel uneasy. Still, she thought it best to issue her usual friendly greeting.

"I'm Lizzy," she said with a bright smile.

"Adelaide," the redhead grunted in response. She didn't look up.

Lizzy decided to try again. "I just love your bag-it's totally adorable!" she said, her smile faltering a little more this time.

Adelaide ignored her. Lizzy felt defeated. Was this girl super shy, or did she just not like her? It was this troubling question that kept her staring out the window for the remainder of French class.

~ ~ ~

"She just seems to hate me for some reason!" Lizzy ranted to Ciel in the common room later that night.

"Maybe she just felt a little put off by your enthusiasm," said Ciel, glancing up from his algebra worksheet. "No offense, Lizzy, but you can be a little overwhelming sometimes."

"But I wasn't even bothering her!" Lizzy's homework lay in front of her, untouched. "I promise, all I did was introduce myself and tell her I liked her bag!"

"I believe you," Ciel insisted. "I'm sure it was nothing personal-now please do your homework, okay?"

"Ciel, how can I possibly do my homework with such a crisis on my hands!" she cried. "It's only my first day of high school, and already someone hates me!"

Ciel opened his mouth to try and reassure her, but was cut off by a harsh voice.

"Listen up, everyone!" It was Clayton, one of the Blue House prefects.

"Elections for class representatives will be next week," he said. "If you're interested in running for office, sign up on this bulletin board."

Lizzy's eyes went wide, and suddenly she forgot all about Adelaide's rudeness. "Ciel!" she exclaimed, grabbing his hand excitedly. "I'm going to run for president!"

"You could win, too," Ciel told her. "Since you seem to have only one opponent."

As they approached the bulletin board, Lizzy saw that he was right. There was only one other signature in the category: Adelaide's.


	6. Chapter 6

Over the next week, Lizzy worked her tail off campaigning, with help from Ciel, Victoria, Soma and MacMillan. On every wall in the school were glittering, pastel-colored posters screaming "Vote Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford for President of the First-Year Class."

Adelaide's campaign posters, on the other hand, were emblazoned with the school's coat-of-arms on a glossy black background. "A vote for Adelaide St. Paul is a vote for a wealthier, happier Weston," they announced in stately letters.

Even Lizzy had to admit that Adelaide's posters wee more...well, professional-looking than hers. But encouragement from her campaign team, especially from Ciel, kept her hopeful that she had a chance of beating her rival. 

Adelaide had been absolutely horrible to Lizzy during classes. The two shared not only a French class, but biology and history as well. Luckily, Ciel was in those classes too, and could always be counted on to encourage and stand up for his fiancee. 

~ ~ ~

It was election day, and Lizzy felt as though her heart were jumping rope in the middle of her trachea. It was a good thing she didn't have to sit near Adelaide in the assembly hall-she thought she might die of nervousness as it was. She clutched Ciel's hand for comfort. 

"Good morning, first-years," Sebastian announced through the mic. The hall fell silent.

"it has been devilish fun watching you all run your campaigns. Democracy is a true triumph of humanity, and to see it in action here at Weston is a testament to the sophistication and intelligence shining through each of your ripe little souls."

"Um, Ciel..." Lizzy whispered. "Is he looking at us, or is that just me?"

"It's not just you," Ciel replied, gritting his teeth and fuming with embarrassment. "He's smirking right at me, that bastard."

"I'll begin by announcing your class president," Sebastian continued, "and then move on to the vice-president, secretary, historian, treasurer and House representatives."

Lizzy gasped. "Ciel, this is it!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking. She grasped his hand for dear life.

"And the student who will represent the first-year class as president is...Elizabeth Midford."

Lizzy screeched in ecstasy and enveloped Ciel in a strangling hug. "Ciel! I did it! I DID it!"

Ciel patted her back, mostly to get her to loosen her grip on his neck. "Congratulations, dear." He kissed her forehead. "You deserve it."

~ ~ ~

The day only got better from there. Sure, Adelaide showered Lizzy with dirty looks in every class. She dumped water on Lizzy's biology textbook, snapped her Sailor Moon pencil in half, and even kicked her under the table during French class, but Lizzy didn't mind-not with everyone else congratulating her. She even got a very out-of-character fist bump from Clayton!

That evening, Ciel surprised her with a dinner party on the Blue House lawn. In attendance were MacMillan, Victoria, Sebastian, Nina Hopkins, Edward, Soma and Agni. Agni made delicious curry, and Nina presented Lizzy with a jacket that read "President Lizzy" on the back in bright letters.

"I would have given that to you even if you hadn't won," Nina told her proudly.

As Lizzy was opening a present from her brother, Adelaide walked past the party with a girl from the Red House. She snorted in disgust as she looked over at Lizzy. "As if that girl isn't spoiled enough already," she said loudly. The other girl laughed obnoxiously, and the two sauntered into the Blue House library with their noses in the air. 

"You're both as spoiled as a bad curry!" Soma yelled after them. "And so are your mothers!"

Lizzy wasn't bothered by their snobbishness, however. Resting in Ciel's arms, surrounded by people she loved, she was in Nirvana. Surely nothing could ever spoil this perfect feeling.

Nothing, that is, except the shrill, terrified scream that erupted suddenly from the library.

The party raced into the building, Sebastian leading the way. What they saw as they entered turned Lizzy cold as ice.

Adelaide St. Paul lay dead on the floor, her red hair caked with fresh blood.


	7. Chapter 7

Lizzy gagged. Her head swam. It wasn't like she hadn't seen dead bodies before-Mr. and Mrs. Phantomhive, Madam Red, and of course all the living dead she and Ciel had encountered on the Campania luxury cruise. But Adelaide's body was just so...fresh. Her eyes and mouth were wide, her cheeks were pink, and fresh blood was still oozing from her chest. 

Ciel's arms enveloped Lizzy as she began to cry. Sebastian stepped forward to examine Adelaide's condition.

"She appears to have been stabbed," he said.

"W-w-what do you mean," MacMillan trembled, "stabbed?"

"He's right!" Victoria interjected, pointing at the body. "There's no weapon in sight, though."

"Which means the killer took the weapon with them after doing it!" Soma exclaimed excitedly. "So if we check all the dorms now, we'll be able to find them! Let's go!"

"Are you kidding me?" Ciel scoffed. "A murderer wouldn't be stupid enough to make a mistake like that."

"I'm afraid my young master is correct," Sebastian said. "We're dealing with a cunning criminal here."

Agni leapt forward. "I propose we create a chart listing everyone in the area, and where they were at the time of the murder."

Soma erupted into cheers and applause. "Agni, you're a genius! That's my butler, everyone!"

"After that," Agni continued, "we should all pray to the god of justice together."

"Um...okay," said Edward. "But shouldn't we, you know, tell someone about this? Like, report it to the Headmaster?"

"Ah! An excellent idea, Edward!" Soma exclaimed, clapping him on the back. "I'll go now!" He turned and started to run off. 

"No," Sebastian said, pulling him back. "I'll go. The rest of you, touch nothing on or around the body." He exchanged a pointed look with Ciel before gliding out into the dusk.

There was a long silence, in which everyone seemed to struggle not to look too long at Adelaide.

Edward finally spoke. "Um...so should we, like, say a few words?"

"Why?" Ciel spat. "She was a bitch."

"Ciel, that's not nice," Lizzy said shakily, lifting her head from his shoulder. "She was still a person our age. She had a family, and friends, and talents, and interests..." She trailed off as her eyes began to fill with tears again.

"Friends..." Ciel muttered before gasping in sudden realization. "Friends! Lizzy, that girl Adelaide was with when they walked by our party-do you know her?"

Lizzy shook her head. "I've seen her around, but I don't know her name or anything about her."

"I know her!" Soma exclaimed, obviously excited to be of use. "Her name's Susan Donaldson, she's the daughter of a Scottish Earl and a wealthy English entrepreneur, and she's a champion swimmer."

"I don't care who her parents are or what she's good at," Ciel snapped. "I need to know where she is right now so I can ask her what she remembers about Adelaide's death."

"Actually, it's quite likely that she could be the murderer," Edward added darkly.

"Well, you can't get into the Red House without me," Soma said importantly. 

"I don't think we need to get into the Red House," said Victoria, "as Susan is right there." She pointed to a petite, dark-haired girl crumpled in a shadowy corner, whimpering softly and shaking as she stared blankly at her friend's body.

Lizzy hastily detached herself from Ciel and bounded over to her. She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Hey," she soothed. "My name's Lizzy. You want to get out of here and get some tea? It's not good for you to be here right now."

Susan's eyes were blank. She couldn't seem to tear her gaze away from the body. "She was the first girl I ever loved," she managed to say through her tears. "I don't know what I'll ever do without her!"

She broke into sobs, burying her face in the shoulder of Lizzy's jacket. "I didn't do it!" she cried. "You have to believe me, I didn't k-kill Addy! The girl made of fire-the devil girl did it! A dark angel came up from hell and took my Addy!"


	8. Chapter 8

Later that evening, after Adelaide's body had been taken away and the rest of the student body had been informed of her death, Lizzy and Ciel sat hand in hand in their usual spot in front of the fireplace, silent and worrying. The activity in the Common Room was distinctly subdued, as everyone was on edge about the news of the murder. For the safety of the students, the doors and windows of each House were locked, and police officers were stationed everywhere a police officer could possibly fit.

"Did you hear that if they don't catch who did it," Lizzy finally said softly, "they're going to split us all up and send us to different schools?"

Ciel sighed. "Lizzy, I was right there with you when they told us that."

"Oh," she replied, "right." Ciel squeezed her hand in reassurance, and as she slid down to rest her head on his slim shoulder, he kissed her blonde curls.

"We have nothing to worry about, though-I'm positive," he told her. "I've got Sebastian on the job, and if there's anyone who can solve a mystery quickly, it's my butler."

Selfishly, Lizzy wanted the killer caught not for justice or for Adelaide, but for her own future with Ciel. If the two of them were separated into different schools, who would be there to look out for him and protect him? Ciel needed Lizzy to make him smile and laugh, to kiss his cheek and to calm him down when he had panic attacks.

There was a buzz from Ciel's pocket. "Speak of the devil," he said as he slid to unlock his phone. A message from Sebastian hovered in the center of the screen. "Had a rather interesting talk with Susan. Seems we've got one hell of a situation here. Stay with Lady Elizabeth until I return."

A shudder ran up Lizzy's spine as Ciel finished reading his butler's message aloud. She turned and saw immediately the source of her feeling of foreboding: Sebastian stood against a back window, silhouetted ominously against the fiery sunset, smiling gently at the two of them.

"Ciel." Lizzy shook her fiance's shoulder gently to catch his attention. "Sebastian's in the back." How could he have possibly gotten here so quickly? she thought.

Ciel sighed audibly. He turned and beckoned impatiently to his butler.

"Young master, I'm afraid that Lady Elizabeth must not be privy to this new information," came Sebastian's gentle voice as he glided into the seat across from them, his movements a hurricane of black cloth.

Lizzy froze. What kind of information could be that horrible? Barely a month ago, she had bravely battled the undead in defense of Ciel. She'd seen the bodies of her uncle and two aunts, and, just that day, a freshly dead classmate. So why would Sebastian think she shouldn't hear what he had to say now?

She waited for Ciel to jump to her defense, to say something like "what you say to me, you can say to Lizzy." However, his face stayed cold, nearly expressionless, the way it had looked the first night she'd seen him after the fire. He'd terrified her then, and he terrified her now.

Anger bubbled in Lizzy's abdomen, but she suppressed it as she rose silently and mounted the stairs to her dorm room. Sinking into her bed, she considered what she had so many times before; how Ciel might feel if he knew how much his behavior hurt her sometimes.

It was possible he wouldn't even care.


	9. Chapter 9

It was late. The common room was silent, the fire was mere ashes, and Sebastian had long since left for the faculty's quarters. Ciel remained, alone on the plush couch, thinking.

This new information was disturbing, to say the least. Even Ciel's wildest nightmares would not have suggested there was another creature like Sebastian at Weston. Lizzy...how could he protect her? She couldn't be kept completely in the dark. Being, well, Lizzy, eventually she'd want in on the full story of how Adelaide was killed.

"Hey...Ciel?" He jumped, startled by the sound of her voice. Lizzy took a seat on the opposite end of the couch and folded her pajama-clad legs under her.

"Lizzy, it's almost midnight," Ciel told her, a little more harshly than he had meant to.

"I couldn't sleep," she replied. I was afraid I would have nightmares." She looked as though she had been crying. Ciel broke into a cold sweat. What would he do if she suddenly burst into tears? Or if she gradually broke down? There were very few things Sebastian couldn't help him with, and his confusing relationship with his fiancee was one of them. He had to say something. He couldn't just sit there. She was so pretty, and she made him feel so many things...

He timidly moved next to Lizzy and put his arms around her, kissing the top of her blonde head. She looked up at him, smiled, and kissed him back-on the lips. Fireworks danced in Ciel's head, and suddenly the strange supernatural crime that had taken the life of their classmate seemed of little importance. He had someone to love right her, and she was magical.

~ ~ ~

The school was silent as the grave, and Ciel was fast asleep in the dark common room. Here was the perfect opportunity for Lizzy to carry out her top-notch investigation plan. Gently and carefully, she slid out from under her fiance's arm, grabbed her iPhone from the coffee table and switched on its build-in flashlight. Mustering all the strength and speed she'd practiced with her mother during fencing lessons, she glided out into the hallway.

Lizzy's slender shoulders heaved with a sudden blend of excitement and terror. The full moon sliced stripes over the marble floor in the chilly night. She enthusiastically hummed the Mission Impossible theme to herself for a second or two, then clamped a hand over her mouth, remembering how much trouble she'd be in if she were caught.

At last, here she was-the scene of the crime. The entrance to the Peter F. Blueford Library was barricaded with sinister yellow bands of tape that surrounded a chalk outline on the place where Adelaide had lain. Lizzy's throat swam with bile when she glimpsed the reddish brown ooze that covered the area. Blood? Gingerly she stepped over the tape and, wrapping a plastic sandwich bag over her fingers, leaned over to touch the liquid.

With the ferocity of a thunderclap, lights blared and the burglar alarm shrieked. Lizzy gasped and fell backward in shock. She somersaulted to her feet and instinctively moved to draw a sword, only for her heart to rise in panic with the realization that she had no weapon. The police were here, and she was cornered.


	10. Chapter 10

"Hands up! You have the right to remain silent!" the officer barked at Lizzy. Framed by the glaring lights of alarm and police cars, he seemed a terrifying phantasm. Lizzy's heart thumped a mile a minute. Without thinking, she threw her shaking hands into the air. "I'm sorry!" she shrieked. "I'm sorry, I swear I am!"

The officer paused. "Lady Elizabeth?" He held up a hand, signaling his coworkers to stop advancing on Lizzy. "It's me, Charles Ford-your dad's old school buddy! What the hell're you doing here?"

"Mr. Ford? I, uh, well..." "You're in big trouble, young lady! Come on now," Officer Ford said gruffly, clapping her on the back and leading her to his car. He resembled a Christmas elf-short, stocky, bald as an egg while sporting a lily-white handlebar mustache. The last time he'd been to the Midford home for dinner, Lizzy remembered him growing tipsy over the course of the evening and guffawing over his own puns. He wasn't scary, but he was still a policeman, and Lizzy knew he would never understand why she broke into the library, even had she the courage to try and explain to him.

~ ~ ~

Ciel woke suddenly, apprehension clouding his jumbled dreams. Lizzy was gone. Apprehension grew to panic, and he sprang to his feet, afraid but unable to think coherently enough to try and guess where she might be. She could have gone to bed, of course, but Ciel just knew that wasn't the case. He knew his fiancee, and there was something else, too, something standing at the back window-a dark figure that was not Sebastian, silhouetted against the gray of the early morning sky.

"You! You took Lizzy! Where is she?" he shouted across the common room. Upstairs, dorm lights were being flicked on, one by one, by frightened Blue House students.

The dark mass laughed, a slimy, horrible sound. "I don't have your little friend," it sneered. "Hers isn't the soul I want."

Ciel's blood froze. He wasn't ready-even if it were Sebastian, he wouldn't be ready. Lizzy...

Seething, he snatched his eyepatch, its fastenings coming undone with a righteous snap. "Sebastian! Now!"

With a roar, the unknown demon glided toward Ciel, just as another, more familiar black figure blocked his path. "Master?" Sebastian implored smoothly as he sent the creature flying with a calm swoop of the arm.

"Sebastian, find Lizzy and bring her to me. Make sure she has her swords!"

His butler smirked. "My Lord, you are in great danger here. My first duty as butler is to ensure your safety. The contract says-"

"I don't give a damn what the contract says!" Ciel roared. "Bring me my fiancee! Now!"


	11. Chapter 11

Seated in the police station in between her parents, Lizzy could feel her face growing pale. Frances and Alexis Midford had said all the predictable things when informed of their daughter's crime: "She's such a good girl; she would never hurt a fly; this is so unlike our Lizzy," then later, "We're so sorry, Charles. It will never happen again." Lizzy's fear of her mother's wrath was intense, but even more prominent inside her at this moment was an apprehension she could not shake-a feeling that Ciel wasn't safe.

Officer Ford was in the process of explaining Lizzy's punishment-five hours of community service around the school-when the door to the station was thrown open, releasing a burst of cold night air. Sebastian Michaelis filled the doorway.

Lizzy sprang to her feet, possessed by a sudden rise of indescribable rage. How could he leave Ciel alone, with this unknown killer roaming the school?

"You...you bastard!" she growled, storming to the door."Go back now! Ciel needs you!" She shoved him hard, a pathetic, childish move that served only to intensify the satisfied smirk on Sebastian's angular face. There was a heavy pause, in which the two of them, child and demon, stood face to face, watched in incredulous horror by Lizzy's parents and Officer Ford. Then Sebastian moved. Lizzy tensed, preparing to strike his face, and all at once found her hands immobile. His slender fingers choked her wrists as he leaned close to her face. 

"My Master instructed me to find you," the butler sneered, his dark eyes stabbing. "If he is in danger or hurt, it is because he put your safety above his own and ordered me to leave him." His grip tightened. His face was nearly grazing hers, and Lizzy felt the blood in her fingers draining. He was whispering now, his voice audible to her alone. "Perhaps I am not the one who has put His Lordship in danger."

Lizzy jerked herself free and slapped him, the sound of flesh on flesh echoing through the hard, white room. A white handprint decorated Sebastian's cheekbones.

"You disgust me," she told him, her voice saturated with loathing. Without looking back at her parents, Lizzy pushed through the door, into the red morning, toward her love.

~ ~ ~

Frightened students lined the balcony over the common room. Pale and silent, they watched as the monster approached Ciel. Weak, small and unarmed, Ciel wondered for a moment if he had truly done the right thing in sending Sebastian away. He squashed the thought immediately-of course he'd made the right decision. Lizzy came first, always. 

"What are you?" he cried, masking his terror with a strong voice. "Who are you? Are you the one who killed Adelaide?" 

The thing chuckled. "Well, shouldn't that be obvious? You should all thank me for ridding your school of such a wench."

Ciel clenched his fists. "You're a murderer no matter who you kill! You had no contract with Adelaide; no good reason to take her soul!"

"Her soul?" Another laugh, making Ciel's hair stand on end. "What a ridiculous idea. I never wanted that girl's soul, I just felt like killing her. No, the one whose soul I desire is your little friend."

His face drained. "Lizzy? What could you want with my fiancee's soul? She's as spotless and beautiful on the inside as on the outside. She has no ghosts. She's innocent and perfect, and I love her!"

The demon snarled. "Innocent? Perfect? Your Lizzy is nothing of the sort, thanks to you."

"What do you mean?" Ciel's panicked heart threatened to overwhelm his earlier bravado. All his efforts to keep Lizzy safe and sheltered, unaware of his suffering and of any hint of the Contract...could it all have backfired?

"That's not true!" called a beautifully familiar voice from the doorway. It was Lizzy, a sword in each hand, flanked by a smiling Sebastian. With a soaring spin kick, she sprang to her fiance's side and pinned his attacker to the floor with one smooth stab of a blade. 

"I love Ciel," she growled in its grotesque face. "I love him more than I love anything else in this universe. Yes, he makes me worry. I fear for him every second of every day. He keeps secrets from me, big secrets, and yes it hurts, it hurts me so much I want to cry." She twisted her sword, emitting a shrill cry of pain from the demon. "But it's totally worth it," she snarled, leaning in closer for emphasis. "I guess you wouldn't understand that love is always stronger than pain. All you understand is hatred. And by the way," she was screaming now, leaping into the air, "you're not getting my soul!"

She landed, blades out, on top of the enemy's body, straddling it as she stabbed its heart. A Dantean shriek split the morning air as the demon quaked in agony, dark energy dissipating as it transformed back into its human disguise. Tears of anger and hurt filled Lizzy's eyes when she saw that it was Victoria.

"You're the worst roommate ever," Victoria spat through the blood in her mouth. Her pupils remained blood-red, a gruesome reminder of her true self.

"Back at you," Lizzy spat back, and then finished her with one last twist of a blade.


	12. Chapter 11

Silent energy choked the Blue House common room, centered on Lizzy, Ciel and the dead Victoria. The unspoken word "murderer" throbbed with Lizzy's heart. She felt so tired. Why hadn't she stayed on the couch in Ciel's arms, ignorant and sad?

She felt her finance's arms around her, and suddenly a melange of remorse and relief pounded at her. She melted into tears.

The next several hours passed in a blur of police, school administrators, parents and reporters. Lizzy never stopped weeping, and Ciel never left her side.

"I don't care whose daughter she is or what the extenuating circumstances were," the police chief said. "Elizabeth killed a fellow student, and will suffer the appropriate consequences."

"One moment please, officer," came a familiar voice from the doorway. Lizzy swiveled around, shocked, to see Sebastian entering the police station.

"My name is Sebastian Michaelis. I am a professor at Weston College and head of the Blue House. With respect, officer, I'm afraid you've made a bit of an error in punishing Miss Elizabeth. You see, I killed Victoria Porter."

The station practically reeked of stunned silence.

The police chief knit his brow. "Professor, you really shouldn't be covering for this girl. She broke the law."

"I broke the law. Victoria attacked young Mr. Phantomhive, and Miss Elizabeth ran to her finance's defense. Unable to watch both these excellent students slaughtered, I intervened, and the child wound up dead."

The officer chuckled wryly. "Mr. Michaelis, thirty students saw Miss Elizabeth attack Miss Victoria."

"Oh?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "I think upon further investigation, you would find thirty students admitting they saw nothing of the sort."

Lizzy was stunned. Was Sebastian really trying to protect her?

Alexis Midford leapt to his feet and grabbed Sebastian by the collar. "Now what are you getting at, Michaelis? Is this whole thing a joke to you?"

"Alexis?" Frances pulled her husband back to his chair. "Let him finish," she hissed. 

"Thank you, Marchioness," Sebastian smiled. "Allow me to explain from the beginning. About a week ago, a student named Adelaide St. Paul was killed by her...ahem...very personal female friend, Susan."

"Susan?!" Lizzy and Ciel exclaimed together.

"Susan was under the influence of a demon-Victoria-who wished to kill Adelaide while hiding under the alibi of Miss Elizabeth's dinner party."

"But Victoria said she wanted my soul," said Lizzy. "Why would she kill Adelaide?"

"Likely to ward off suspicion," said Ciel. "She probably figured that if we all were caught up in Adelaide's being dead, then her attack on us would catch everyone off guard. Obviously she underestimated your fighting skills." He squeezed her hand. 

"What about Susan? Will she be all right?" Lizzy asked. 

"She doesn't know she killed Adelaide, but measures have been taken nonetheless to help her cope with the trauma of this experience."

"Say we believe all this," the police chief said. "How do you suppose we justify letting Elizabeth here off the hook?"

Sebastian's eyes glowed crimson. A sudden fear filled the room as his face darkened and twisted...

"All right! All right! I believe you!" shrieked the officer, his piggish face moist with sweat. Ciel glared at his butler. Lizzy quaked in shock and terror. The Midfords sat stone-faced.

"Well, that was annoying," Ciel muttered. "Lizzy and I will be going now." He pulled her by the hand back into the oppressive sunlight and the unwelcome density of the morning air. 

(I don't own Black Butler or any characters except for Victoria, Adelaide, Susan and the police chief.)


	13. Chapter 13 (Final)

Ciel stormed across campus as if he were being chased, pulling Lizzy behind him. "Ciel, wait!" she cried. She was desperate for answers. What was Sebastian?

"Not now, Lizzy!" he snapped, and her eyes filled with tears. She stopped in her tracks.

"Yes, now!" she said. "Stop treating me like I'm not important to know why you're upset all the time!"

Kiel whirled around. "Not important enough?! How could you say that? There are things I could never tell you because you're so important to me, Lizzy, did you ever think of that?"

Tears trickled down her quivering cheeks. "I don't know you anymore, Ciel," she said softly.

For a second Ciel stared at her as she cried, his one visible eye full of hurt. He stepped forward and held her. "My first duty as your fiancé is to keep you safe at all costs, even if that means keeping secrets from you," he said. "There are things you just can't know, Lizzy. I'm sorry."

She pulled away in anger. "You're treating me like a child! If you care about me so much, why can't we just be equals?"

"Because I can't afford to put your well-being on the line, Elizabeth! Nothing is worth that!"

"I don't care about my own well-being!" Lizzy sobbed. "Ever since we were little, my whole life practically, I've only ever cared about you! I love you, Ciel, I love you so much I can't stand it!"

A pause. Ciel snatched at his hair in frustration, then stepped forward and kissed her, quickly but firmly, on the forehead.

"I'm sorry, Lizzy," he said softly. "I can't. Please," he pleaded, "please forgive me."

~ ~ ~

Two weeks had passed since Victoria's death, and Lizzy was finally finished with her community service. Thankfully she'd been allowed to stay class president (though she didn't know it, this was thanks to some savvy negotiating on Ciel's part). She had so many questions for him, but they could wait. Ciel seemed almost happy, sometimes, and though of course this wasn't ideal, it was a definite improvement.

This morning, Lizzy dressed her hair with a deep purple bow, a dramatic change from her usual light pastels. Her new roommate was supposed to arrive today, but it was already a quarter to eight, almost time for homeroom. Lizzy wasn't hopeful that the new girl would show up in time for them to meet. She heaved a disappointed sigh and grabbed her backpack. Oh, well. Sometimes people were late. She wouldn't let it bother her.

She made it to French class just as the bell rang, as usual, and tried not to pay attention to Adelaide's conspicuously empty seat.

"Bonjour, classe!" the teacher's bright voice rang out. "I'm handing out your warm-up worksheets. Try to remember the verbs in the 'house of etre.' I'll be around if you need help."

Lizzy sighed. Seat work was more exhausting to her than sports. As much as she hated fencing, she had to admit the fast pace and danger of the sport thrilled her. She would much rather be running around outside right now than conjugating French verbs.

 

The door opened, and Lizzy perked up with excitement as an unfamiliar girl poked her head in. She was short and thin, with dark hair and enormous eyes, wore a slightly baggy green sundress, and sat in a wheelchair.

"Oh, perfect! You're just in time to start class with us!" Madame Laurent exclaimed, leading the new girl inside. "Boys and girls, this is Sieglinde Sullivan, a new student joining the Blue House. She just moved from Germany and doesn't speak much English, so be very patient and welcoming, d'accord?"

"D'accord," the class responded. Lizzy wondered if this girl could be her new roommate. She hoped they could be friends, at least. Lizzy could take her shopping and help her fix her hair to make it even cuter than it already was.

"Sieglinde, how about you sit with Lizzy over there by the window?" Madame Laurent said. Sieglinde nodded with a small smile and wheeled her way over.

"Hi!" Lizzy said. "Your hair is adorable!"

"Thank you," Sieglinde said. "I'm thinking...you will be the person I'm in a room with?" She held up her room key: Blue House 224. Lizzy's room!

Lizzy squealed. "Amazing! I just knew it, when you walked in-I knew we would be friends!"

Sieglinde laughed loudly and grabbed Lizzy's hands. "Best friends?"

Ciel caught Lizzy's eye from across the room and smiled. I can still make him happy, Lizzy thought with a newfound optimism. With a best friend and a beloved finance, even that was possible.

E N D.

(Thanks for reading! I don't own Black Butler or any characters except Victoria, Adelaide, Susan, Officer Ford and the police chief.)


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